suddenly, surprisingly, I am going to Tokyo this weekend with Ann. It should be really fun as we are going with no particular plans in mind, just a hotel and a train ticket.

Last weekend I went to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, and it was really really cool. Usually you have to do an application to go. But this was one of the five days in the fall they just open it to the general public. So Elizabeth, Tomosuke and I went together. It was really pretty interesting. And SO big, and not to mention gorgeous with all the fall colors changing. Afterwards we trmoped on over to Kinkakuji, which was a jam-packed bus ride away. Man people talk about Japanese trains, they've never been on a Japanese bus. Just when you think another person cannot possibly fit on that bus, five more people will get on. Luckily Tomosuke and I escaped up the stairs, Elizabeth was not so lucky. But Kinkakuji was gorgeous with all the red and orange leaves. Too bad both Elizabeth and my cameras died simultaneously. So we bought a fujifilm disposible and took pictures with that, but now we have to figure out how to get them printed and to our computers.

And for no reason on Wednesday we went to Shinsaibashi, just to celebrate the finish of another round of tests and no homework I suppose. And on Tuesday it was dinner with Tomiko in Kyobashi, which was REALLY excellent. The resturant we went to was so delicious. A touch of karaoke afterward and that was a nice night. Add to all that Shamisen lessons and it was a full week. But we are finally getting the hang of this song, until the 12 mark, then the shamisen section is still struggling a bit but we'll work through it with practice.